If At First You Don't Succeed
by BobWhite
Summary: Full Summary Inside
1. Michaelle Shahlavi

**Full Summary:**

There's a new firefighter in the house. Why does Shane not trust her? And more importantly, who wants her dead? Can Shane & J.J. figure out what she's hiding?

**Michaelle Shahlavi:**

My last firehouse was attacked nearly three months after I was assigned to work there. My co-workers didn't seem to realize that the only reason that firehouse was attacked was because of me. My ex-boyfriend tried to kill me when I was fourteen and because of that, I believe that I am the only deaf firefighter and part-time paramedic. And because I couldn't hear anything, my parents had taken me to the local shelter, but no animals said that I could trust them. When my parents and I went to the zoo, I had headed straight for the tiger cage. My parents watched as a tiger cub ventured up from the floor of the cage to the visitor's section and started sniffing at the fence. The zookeepers were trying to figure out what the cub was doing. But most of all the adult tigers were starting to get a little agitated. They had started moving towards the visiting area.

I guess the cub could sense that there was something different with me because it was sniffing at my hands as if I needed him to help me. The adult tigers stood still as the cub slipped into my arms and started to relax. Turns out, the cub was the runt of the litter and none of the zookeepers had been able to get him to eat. It also turns out that he was actually a she. The cub-whom I later got a permit for and the zoo let me keep, was named Mikita- soon learned the responsibility of being a service animal. Mikita grew into a beautiful female Siberian Tiger. She was a peach color and she knew how to get what she wanted, from other people of course. She knew better then to beg for something from me.

My former co-workers didn't seem to mind that I had a pet tiger, especially since it was a service animal. But when my last firehouse was attacked, they decided to transfer me, apparently something that had been on everybody's mind for some time. Apparently, I wasn't much liked because of the fact that I was deaf. And apparently they thought they could get away with talking behind my back, except about my cooking. I had taken a cooking class in college before transferring my profession to something more hands on. I wouldn't be able to hear my fellow chefs if they asked me something and Mikita wasn't allowed within the kitchen because of what the Health Department would've said.

So here I was, at Dogpatch Fire Station, looking at my new job. It was raining and I assumed everybody was inside. But would they like me for who I was? Or would I be turned away because I was hearing impaired? And what would they think about Mikita? Would they let her stay in the firehouse, come on calls and other things? Would she even be allowed to stay in the Firehouse? All those questions were running through my head as I took my first steps inside my new Department. I took a deep breath, looked down at Mikita, who looked back up at me as if saying "_You can do this. This is what we were trained for. This is what we were made to do. This is why God let you live when your ex tried to kill you. You can do this and you know what, I'll even be right beside you the whole way_". She even had a smile on her face that made me laugh.


	2. Meeting My New CoWorkers

**Meeting My New Co-Workers:**

I walked up the stairs to the firehouse with Mikita by my side. Shane, Dewey & Joe were in the kitchen; Pip was hitting the punching bag; Lionel & Terrance were watching a football game; and Captain Connor Fahey was in his office. As I stand just out of sight of my new co-workers, Mikita decides to do a little investigating herself. Her leash slips out of my hand & she jumps up the last few steps. Pip's first reaction is a scream. The rest of the team is standing around, five feet from where Mikita is sitting, looking back at me. I finally join her.

Bending down, I take her leash in my hand, then stand up, holding a hand up as if I'm waving. Everyone is looking at me. Captain Fahey starts to talk to me. I watch his lips as he speaks.

"Hi, I'm Captain Connor Fahey. You must be our new transfer."

"Yes, I'm a…I'm Michaelle Shahlavi. And this is Mikita. It is nice to meet you."

"You do know she can't stay here right?" _Captain Fahey asked._

"If she goes, I go. If you haven't noticed, she's a service animal."

"Why do you need her?"

"Long story short, my ex-boyfriend tried to kill me when I was fourteen. I haven't been able to hear since. Any more questions you have for me?"

"None at the moment. Welcome to the team."

"Can you read lips?" _Joe asked._

"What do you think I've been doing this whole time? Making my answers up as I go?"

"You're a funny one." _Pip said._

"Thank you."


	3. Settling In

**Settling In:**

Dewey began doing an investigation of his own once I was given a locker where I could keep my stuff. Mikita was laying downstairs watching the others moving around doing what they normally did when not on call. He was upstairs with me at the moment sniffing me and sniffing at my stuff. Mikita knew enough not to attack anyone seeing as she had been raised by a human herself.

As I came downstairs with a bag of her treats, shaking them as I came, she stood up and wandered over to me. Dewey had heard the shaking and sat next to Mikita as I took out one of her treats and gave it to her. Shane looked over at Dewey and seeing him start to beg, came over and started talking to me. He made sure that I was looking at his face and his lips before he started talking, as not to be rude and start sputtering off about how it wasn't fair.

"You know, if you give Mikita a treat, Dewey is going to want one as well. You might as well give him one too."

"Does your dog like dried dog?" _his mouth dropped open at that statement and he seemed to think about what he was going to say._

"I'm just joking with you Shane. These treats were specially made for Mikita from a friend of mine at the zoo, where I adopted Mikita. They are made out of processed seal food and processed penguin food. She has a tendency to be a picky eater but it calms her down after an eventful day."

"How'd you end up adopting her from the zoo? I've never heard of anyone adopting any animals from a zoo before?"

"It's a long story and one I'm not too keen on sharing. But what I will tell you is that Mikita was the runt of the litter she as born into and the zookeepers couldn't get her to eat. That was until my parents took me to the zoo and she slipped into my arms and relaxed. I guess she sensed that I needed her and she knew that she needed me as well. So, do I even get to venture at what's for dinner?"

"Whatever Joe is making, but I think my dad ordered Pizza."

"Yum, pizza!" _I said hesitantly._

"Pizza not to your liking?" _Pip asked coming up._

"Just not a big fan that's all."

"What'd you used to eat at your old firehouse?"

"That would depend on what I decided to cook that night. If there was anything that my former co-workers like about me, it was my cooking. I took a cooking class in college before transferring professions because of the fact that I wouldn't be able to hear my colleagues talk to me in the kitchen and Mikita wasn't allowed in the kitchen either due to what the Health Department would have had to say about the situation."

"Well, maybe you can Joe to move over so that you can cook something decent then, though it is his kitchen so maybe not." _Lionel said._

"Maybe I could give him some cooking classes."

"You are a funny one. You'll fit in right at home here. Shane, your dad wants you."

"Alright, talk to you later Michaelle."

"Yeah." _I said waving at him from the side. _

My attention had turned back to Mikita who was lounging on one of the chairs like she was going to get away with it or something. I walked up to her, crossed my arms and looked down at her. The others had seen what I was doing. Dewey just plain and hopped up on any and all furniture just because he thought he could. It seemed that Mikita wasn't allowed on the furniture. I looked down at Mikita whose eyes drifted up to me as if asking: _what did I do wrong this time mom?_ She knew what she had done. She also knew that if she wasn't off the chair by the time my foot tapped three, she was going to be in trouble. My foot had already tapped twice and before I could tap the third time, she was out of the chair and slinky away. She knew not to get on my bad side.

Instead of going after her as I watched her settle in the corner next to the TV, I sat in the chair she had been in and smiled. We were like two peas in a pod. We both knew each other feelings and she knew when not to get on my bad side. I also knew when she was in a bad mood or a good mood. Bad mood she would sulk all day; good mood, she would get on the furniture. It had always been her way of telling me that she was in a good mood. It was either that or a playful mood. I slapped my hand on my thigh a few times to get her attention and as the others watched Mikita trotted up to me and put her front paws on my legs and then laid her head on her paws.

Settling in had was going fine so far. I just needed to keep them from finding out the real reason as to why I was transferred and why someone wanted me dead. But could I do it?


End file.
